Bear Hide Mixtape Launch Party

For those who are unaccustomed as yet, Bear Hide is a small, budding organisation built on the idea of musos helping each other out; basically, local bands get their music recorded live onto a tape and doubled up with a fellow artiste. This particular Bear Hide launch was to celebrate the coupling of the delicious tunes of Ruby Rose and Samuel Kingsley. But more on that later.

I trundled into the convivial Espy Gershwin Room where Melbourne indie-rock lads Fire Fire! were getting set to play. I was impressed with the crowd turnout; it made me believe that Melbournians, despite our cynical and jaded reputation, could make an effort for a cause such as this. As Fire Fire! powered through a dynamic set, I couldn’t help but be quite impressed with the boys; for a band still in their infancy (Fire Fire! began only early this year) they had a tight, catchy set and magnetic stage presence. Sure, there are still the odd rock hiccups like what to do with the mic stand or creating witty banter between tracks but that’s par for the course. Baby steps. Showing ample reinvention with each set and with a new excitable drummer in tow, the boys are cultivating a breadth of spiky, clappy, catchy tracks. ‘Well Done’ stickers all around.

Samuel Kingsley played a largely different but still entirely enjoyable set. Imagine, say, Xavier Rudd sans the didgeridoos, with a dash of Bob Dylan. A jaunty blues act, not too heavy, not too light (it’s Just Right!), Samuel looks like the prototypical Nice Guy, and sings like it too, though I can’t decide yet if I have had too much of those types. The Jason Mraz style witticisms and potent romanticism, it’s all quite lovely but, boy, does it have its fair sure of saturation. His songs, though, are lovingly crafted and poignantly articulated, and that’s never a bad thing.

Ruby Rose looks like an obscure Black Books character (for Brit-com nerds, it’s Bernard’s redheaded object of affection in the Fever episode) and sounds like a nice girl with a piano. Though her set does not spark and set my heart aflame, Ruby is the loveliest thing to ever grace the Gershwin Room stage (aside from ex-Dwarf editor Jade who kicked massive arse at Rockwiz) and she is sure to capture Australia’s collective heart with her sweet, silky tunes. We can see why Samuel and Ruby have been coupled on this particular mixtape; their sounds will blend flawlessly together, within and around each other. Perhaps a duet is in order? I imagine it would sound more or less like Song 6 by Ron Sexsmith and Ane Brun.

I’ve seen Winter St a number of times now and every time I get the same image in my head; put X number of indie soft-rock bands into a blender and hit ‘combine’. I don’t know, they’re just so...beige. I need some rattling bones, man! Singer Tim seems to have a myriad of vocal toneage in his arsenal, though seems steeped in the same dull pitch. People were getting into it, and good for them, I am sure Winter St will adopt many fans in their time as a band (for fans of: Snow Patrol, Broken Social Scene) but I just can’t make the leap of faith.

All in all, a pleasant Melbourne night. A reminder to those who care about music that one should never look straight ahead, and don’t swallow the pill the labels feed you. There is a multitude of great music right on your doorstep, and it won’t fall in your lap. Go on MySpace, get the street press, don’t complain jadedly about how the music scene is, like, so lame. Get up outta the dirt and look for yourself.

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